Developing appliance for photographic prints.



G. W. HOMER.

DEVELOPING APPLIANCE FOR PHOTGGRAPHIC PRINTS.

APPupAnoN mm mm: 15. 1918.

Florida," have invented certain new UNITED STATES PATENT GLEASON W. ROMER, OF LAKE HELEN, FLORIDA.

DEVELOPING APPLIANCE FOR PHOTOGBAPHIG PRINTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 1, 1919.

Application filed June 15. 1918. ,Serial No. 240,183.

To all-whom it may concern -Be ifijknown that I, GLEASON W. RoMnR a citizen-of the United States, residing at La e Helen, in the county of Volusia and State of v and useful'lmprovements in Developing Appliances for Photographic Prints, of which the fola lowing is a specification.

handled, held or carried and manipulated during the various steps attending devel0p print ma stained fingers and nails,

ment, said appliance'bein'g formed from a single piece of any suitable material not affected by the chemical agents employed.

A further object of the invention is to so construct my novelappliance that the film or be readily manipulated, thus preserving t e hands and fingers of the operator from contact with ous development solution,

fingers and all other injurious effects of the hands usually produced by the said solution, and the operators hands are kept clean, g 2

from. 'wh1ch'- the appliance is formed.

thereby enabling him .to produce "better work, since the paper can be handled, printed and numbered, prints placed in the developer and handled throughout all of the solutions without causing the operator to stop'ito wash and dry his hands from time to time, and 1t also i eliminates the use of rubber gloves, finger tips and all anti-stain preparations hereto- I fore employed.

' "operator would 'Another object of this invention is to pro-- vide a device of such pecullar shape or configuration that the operator can handle as many prints, and in the same time, as the natural hand, since the lateral curve of the device at the clamping end portion thereof is designed to give it the natural position assumed by the human hand during the process of developing the prints, and the downward curve of the appliance toward its outer end portion enables the operators hand to be elevated above andout of the developing solution, and at the same 'time'permits the clamping end of the device to be placed flat on the bottom of the developing tray in order to engage and lift the print, and italso enthe acids and poisonthereby preventing the eating of the be able to handle with the ables the device to be balanced or supported on the edge of the tray when not in use.

The foregoing and such other objects as departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the inven ion.

In the accompanying drawings which form al'lpart of the specification it will be seen t at Figure 1, is a perspective view of the novel appliance embodying my invention, showing it in the hand of the operator with a p icprint clamped and support d thereby.

Fig. 2, isaside view of the appliance showing it held in the hand in its open or normal position;

' Fig. 3, is a similarview showing the appliance in its closed or clamping position.

Fig. 4, is a plan view of the appliance. Fig. 5,. is a transverse section, taken on the line 5-45, Fig. i, and 1 Fig". 6, is a reduced plan view of a blank member, said members being formed from a single piece of suitable or desirable material v and "joined at the central or bent portion 3.

The lower member is provided at its outer end portion. with. an enlarged fiat rounded clamping portion 4, having a beveled portion 5 at its outer edge, and near its outer edge is formed a plurality of depressions 6 in its lower and outer surface, serving as suction depressions to elevate or lift the print slightly when it becomes unduly flattened against the bottom of the developlng tray or any other support, so that the portion 4 may be readily slipped thereunder, while the upper member 2 is provided at its outer end portion with a smaller or reduced rounded clamping portion 7, as shown in' Fig. 4: of the drawings,

thumb and fingers of the operators hand, as

clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the print will be clamped between the portions 4 and 7 of the appliance, and thereby handled and suit the pressure of the t ably manipulated by the operator during the entire developing process, without the hand or fingers coming into contact with the poisonous developin solutioh, and as soon as iiumb and fingers are entirely released the print will fall or be delivered from the appliance by the resiliency of the members 1 and 2, and said members will be caused to automatically assume their open or normal unclamped position such as shown in Fig. 2.

It will be readily perceived that the downwardly curved outer portion of the appliance readily permits the dipping of the print in the solution, and the easy removal of it from the shallow developing trays, without the hand or fingers coming into contact with the said solution, while the laterally formed curve at the clamping end portion of the members causes the device to assume the natural position of the human hand during the print developing process.

It will be understood that the depressions formed in the under surface of the lower clamping portion may be dispensed with if desired, since the beveled or sharp outer edge formed on the portion 4 can be easily slipped beneath the print in almost all conditions, in order to elevate the print to a clamping position, and that the appliance may be formed of any suitable material such as sheet brass plated with nickel; sheet steel, celluloid, or

other desirable material possessing the necessary resiliency when the device is formed into the shape or configuration such as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

The clamping portion 4 is enlarged so as to form a greater area of bearing surface for the print to rest upon when clampedby the appliance, thereby materially lessening the possibility of the print being broken, torn or otherwise defaced during the handling of the print while in a'wet or moist condition as the process of development is completed.

Having thus described my invention, what 'I claim and desire tofsecure by Letters Patent is:

1. An appliance of the character described width than the other member, the body por tion of each arm. beingv provided with a,

downwardly curved portion, and each arm" being curved laterally with respect to the body portion near its terminal end portion for the purposes described. 1

2. An appliance of the character described consisting of a single piece of material bent upon, itself to form an upper and a lower resilient arm, a clamping member formed upon the terminal of each arm, one clamping member being of greater length and diameter than the other member, the body portion of each arm being provided with a downwardly bent'portion, and each arm being bent laterally with respect to the body portion near its terminal end portion tor the purposes described.

3. An appliance of the character described comprising a single piece of material bent upon itself to form two arms, clamping members formed upon the terminals of said arms, thelower one of said members having an enlar ed clamping end portion extending at all points beyond the reduced clamping end portion of the upper member, and both arms having a downward curved body portion and a lateral curved portion near its terminal end for the urposes described.

4. An applianceo the character described comprising a single piece of material bent silient clamping member, each member upon itself to form an upper and a lower reformed with a downward curve and alateral member formed with a lateral curve near its outer end portion, the end portion of one member being larger than the otherand provided with a beveled outer edge, and a lurality of depressions formed therein near its outer end for the purposes set forth.

GLfEASON w. HOMER. 

